1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus (e.g., copying machine, printer, facsimile) having a function to sense a kind of paper conveyed through its conveying path, and a control method therefor, and program.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, an image forming apparatus such as a copying machine, a printer or a facsimile forms an image by transferring an image to a transfer paper based on image data read from an original or image data supplied from other information processing apparatuses. An image forming apparatus may use various types of transfer papers, including thick papers and plain papers. Each type of transfer paper may require different control condition for forming an image by the image forming apparatus.
In a conventional image forming apparatus, a control unit conducts optimal control depending on the type of transfer paper set by a user using an operation unit immediately before the image forming. Some image forming apparatuses employ a detecting unit that can directly detect physical properties of the transfer paper as numerical values in an electrical or mechanical manner and automatically conducts the optimal control.
Various types of techniques have been proposed of the above image forming apparatus (for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 1994-110354, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2003-312890 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 1993-313517).
However, in the above conventional examples, a burden on (effort for) a user increases if the user is required to set the type of transfer paper used in an image forming apparatus. This makes it difficult to resolve setting mistake or accidental omission of setting. Additionally, if an image forming apparatus employs a detecting unit that directly detects physical properties of the transfer paper as numerical values in an electrical or mechanical manner, a problem may arise concerning a size of the detecting unit or cost increase of the image forming apparatus.
Furthermore, the conventional image forming apparatus may not accurately estimate appropriate working life of a component (time to replace the component) since the conventional apparatus does not consider that the life of a component will change that is installed in the image forming apparatus according to the type of transfer paper used. Because of this, replacement of a component not exceeding its working life causes a burden of extra cost to a user or continuous use of the component exceeding its working life induces a problem such as paper jam or a defective image.